Talks Open a Window for Deal on Deficit

By

Damian Paletta

Updated March 15, 2013 7:55 p.m. ET

Two weeks of bipartisan meals, closed-door meetings and dueling budget proposals have opened perhaps one last window for the White House and Congress to reach a deficit-reduction deal before a likely fight over the debt ceiling this summer.

Lawmakers say they now see a small opportunity to forge a comprehensive fiscal plan between now and July or August. That's because the dynamics in recent days have changed, with a slow, steady...